US and 10 countries condemn N Korean missile launch

United Nations: The United States and 10 other countries on Monday condemned North Korea’s latest ballistic missile launch and urged the U.N. Security Council to respond, saying its inaction erodes the credibility of the U.N.’s most powerful body and undermines global efforts to prevent the proliferation of nuclear weapons. U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield read a statement from the 11 countries after a closed Security Council briefing on North Korea’s 11th ballistic missile launch since the beginning of the year on Saturday, which was detected by its neighbors.

Experts say the launches are an attempt to add new weapons systems to the North’s arsenal and pressure the United States into making concessions amid stalled diplomacy. The 11 countries — Albania, Australia, Brazil, France, Ireland, Japan, New Zealand, Norway, South Korea, United Kingdom and United States — said they remain committed “to seeking serious and sustained diplomacy” with Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, the country’s official name.

They said the United States and others have repeatedly offered dialogue without preconditions. But they said the DPRK has chosen to increase its ballistic missile launches in violation of Security Council resolutions and international law, “instead of embarking on a path of diplomacy and de-escalation.” —AP